Focusing on Good Things on the Net
The Internet is filled with evil things. As parents and future parents, we dread the day our offspring stumble upon this terrible content. Even with our efforts to filter content, restrict computer time, and put the computer in a “safe” location, we feel our children will one day be exposed. I look at this situation in the same way I look at drugs, sex and other undesirable activities for our kids. Kids should be taught what is wrong and inappropriate on the web. They should understand that great evils lurks just one URL or one search result away. However, kids should also be taught the wonderful things about the Internet. In fact, focusing on such things is more beneficial than focusing on the evil things. As a former teenager myself, I know that my focus was on interesting things. When people talked about things I shouldn’t do, I instantly became curious. It is like telling a 6 year old boy not to open a shiny box. Rather than just focusing on the shiny box, give the boy a train set. Unless he really hates trains, his mind will definitely not be focused on the box. Showing our kids fun activities, useful tools and other interesting aspects of the Internet can help them avoid the dangerous curiosity that leads so many to devastating destinations.
